Loom utilizing stationary weft supplies



g- 25, 4 w. WILLIAMSON 2,294,325

LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFT SUPPLIES Filed March 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l A, W d

inventor Wblbiqml llillianwam,

25, 1942- V w. WILLIAMSON LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFI' SUPPLIES Filed March 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Wclliarn Wllianw 071/,

Attorne Aug. 25, 1942- w. WILLIAMSON 2,294,325

LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFT SUPPLIES Filed March 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Shet 3 1 In ventor' William Mlliamsow,

Aug. 25, 1942.

W. WILLIAMSON LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFT SUPPLIES Filed March 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 4.

I Inventor William Williamson,

Alto new g- 25, 1942- I w. WILLIAMSON 94,

LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFT SUPPLIES Filed March 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 5.

F ig. 6.

I Inventor William V/illianworv,

Patented Aug. 25, 1942 LOOM UTILIZING STATIONARY WEFT SUPPLIES William Williamson, Quorn, England, assignor to M. Wright & Sons Limited, Quorn, England Application March 29, 1940, Serial No. 326,770 In Greatfiritain March 31, 1939 12 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to looms of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary supply thereof, and is inserted into the successively formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weft layer which operates from one of the edges, such looms often being termed shuttleless looms or needle looms. The said looms are particularly suitable forweaving narrow widths of fabric such as ribbons, strapping, webbing (elastic and inelastic) and other similar small-Wares.

According to this invention there is provided a loom of the type referred to, having a shuttle for inserting a selvedge thread through the bights of the double picks at the return edge to lock said picks, and meansfor operating said shuttle. An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a weft-engaging device for operating at the return edge to engage the inserted weft and to position it to facilitate the passage of the shuttle. By the return edge is meant the edge opposite to the edge from which the weft layer works. Since the Weft layer is advanced through each shed from one edge and is withdrawn through same shed to said edge, at the other edge (which is the return edge) the bights of the weft are not locked in the normal operation of shedding and special steps have to be taken to lock them. This is the reason for the provision of the shuttle, but it will be appreciated that owing to the rapid operation of the loom and to the other factors it is difiicult to insure that the shuttle passes with certainty through the weft bights at the return edge. Therefore, if a weft-engaging device is provided as hereinbefore specified, this said device may be employed to engage the weft at the return edge prior to or during return of the weft layer to that edge from which it operates, and to hold said weft in such an attitude that there is temporarily formed a bight of sumcient compass to permit of the certain passage of the shuttle therethrough. The weft-engaging device is preferably distinct from the shuttle, and with advantage it is movable transversely of the general plane of the warps into and out of operative position. It may also be movable in the general direction of said plane either lengthwise of the warps (e. g. towards the fell) or away from the band of warps, or both, in order to hold the weft in the appropriate attitude.

The aforesaid device may first engage with the weft prior to the commencement of the re-' turn of the weft layer and may maintain said engagement while at least a part of said return movement is being effected.

This invention also includes a loom of; the type referred to, having the weft-layer mounted on the batten or sley, and having a cam arrangement whereby the motion of the batten causes the weft-layer to move into and out of the shed. Preferably the retraction of the batten from the fell enters the weft layer into the shed, and advance of the batten towards the fell retracts the weft-layer.

In order that the invention may be better understood a preferred construction of loom of the type specified, according to the invention, will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional View showing the relevant parts of the loom;

Figure 2 is a plan view,showing certain parts thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view-,vbut on a larger scale than Fig. 1, illustrating the shuttle, weftlayer, and the weft-engaging device aforesaid;

Figure 4 is an elevation of one mechanism whereby the shuttle may be reciprocated;

Figures 5 and 6 are plan views illustrating the action of the shuttle, weft-layer, and weft-engaging device.

Preliminary to this description it may be pointed out that the loom may be constructed to weave only a single width of fabric or it may be sewnstructed as simultaneously to weave a plurality of widths of fabric.- If thus constructed to weave several widths it will be appreciated that for each width certain of the loom parts (such as the weftlayer and weft-engaging device) are repeated although other parts of the loom, such for example as the batten and the shuttle-driving mechanism, will be common to all. Therefore, the mechanism appropriate for weaving a single Width only will be described.

The batten l 0, carrying the reed I I, is arranged to be oscillated about an axis I2 towards or away from the fell, in beating up in the usual manner, by any known or approved mechanism, and it is convenient that the general plane of the warps W (any or all of which may be of elastic) shall be horizontal (although the invention is not limited in this respect), the woven fabric F passing horizontally forward over the breast beam 13 and downwards to suitable taking-up mechanism. The mechanism for shedding the warps W is also of any known or approved kind and therefore need not be described. The batten Hi carries suitable guides M, at its front face, for a horizontally-reciprocatable slide rod [5. This slide rod l carries the weft-layer l6 (and if the loom is constructed to weave a plurality of bands of fabric it may carry all the weft layers). The said weft layer H5 in the main consists of a horizontal needle having an eye I! at its free end (which end is directed towards the warps W) and at its other end being suitably supported by an upright part l8 from said slide rod If). The weft thread W1, taken from a bobbin, cop, cheese or other stationary supply of suitable bulk, passes through the eye I! at the end of the needle and extends to the pick that was last beaten up into the fell. The arrangement is such that as the needle 16 is reciprocated by means of the slide bar IE it is advanced into the shed until its free end projects therefrom at the return edge (Figs. 2 and 5), and. is then retracted from the shed, shedding taking place prior to each insertion.

In order to reciprocate the slide bar l5 and the weft laying needle l6, the slide bar l5 has pivoted to it at 20 the top end of a vertically extending arm 2| which arm is pivotally mounted at its lower end 22 on the batten l0 and, at a suitable intermediate position in its length, is formed with a vertical slot 23 in which a truck 24 on a slide 25 works. The said slide 25 is reciprocatable horizontally in suitable guides 26 carried by the batten I0 and carries a'second truck 21. As the batten I0 is oscillated this second truck 2'! is caused to travel along a cam track 28 formed in a cam plate 29 fixed in a substantially horizontal attitude in the loom framing. This cam track 28 is of such a shape that as the batten I0 is swung back from the fell after beating up, the weft layer I6 is inserted into the shed, and as the batten is swung towards the fell in the next beating-up operation the weft layer is 'retracted from the shed. For this purpose the cam track is inclined. Advantageously, however, it 'is of an approximate S shape. That is to say it has a straight portion at each end, said straight portions being joined by the inclined portion. Because of this formation, which is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the last portion of the travel of the batten I0, both in its advance and in its retirement, is not accompanied by any reciprocation of the weft inserting needle I6. In other words, the needle I6 is completely retracted from the shed before the' final stage of beating-up is reached, and its insertion does not commence until the batten H] has retired for some little distance. Likewise the needle [6 reaches its fully inserted position slightly before the batten l0 reaches its fully retired position (which position is being approached by the batten in Fig. 2) and retraction of the needle does not commence until after the batten has travelled some little way on its forward beating-up swing.

As will be appreciated, it is necessary to lock the free bights of the weft W) at the return edge .(the bights which are formed at the edge from eral plane of the warps W is horizontal, the

shuttle 30 may reciprocate in a vertical direction. The said shuttle may be of any shape and construction found convenient; it carries a bobbin 3|. having an adequate supply of selvedge "thread S and may include a tensioning or take-up device for adequately tensioning said selvedge thread. In order, however, to insure that the bight is held in such a form as to permit of the passage of the shuttle 30, a weft-engaging finger 32 is provided. This weft-engaging finger 32 extends upwards from a horizontal pivot 33 and is arranged to be rocked about said pivot 33 so that at appropriate times it is inserted into and retracted from the free weft bight. The pivot 33 is some suitable distance below and in advance of the upper extremity of the weft-engaging finger 32 so that as said finger is rocked to enter it into the bight, its weft-engaging extremity also travels towards the fell. This movement of itself will assist in holding the bight in such a form that the shuttle may pass through it. The finger may travel in a guide slot formed in a member suitably aflixed to the loom framing, and its rocking movement is produced by the engagement, with the front edge of a ramp 34 formed upon an arm 35 of said finger 32 which projects rearwards from the pivot 33, of a truck 36 carried by a bar 31 projecting forwardly from the batten H]. Thus the finger is inserted as the batten retires and as the batten advances to beat up the finger is removed by gravity.

The various weaving operations are performed in the following manner: While the batten I0 is near its forward extremity of travel a new shed is formed. During the retirement of the batten the weft layer 16 is inserted into this new shed until it projects therefrom at the return edge (Fig. 2). Owing to the shape of the cam track 28 the weft layer It dwells in this position while the batten I0 is in the rearward portions of its swing. At this stage, when the needle I6 is projecting the return edge, the weft W extends diagonally, from the eye I! at said projecting end of the needle l6, through the shed to the fell at the other selvedge. Hence, at the return edge a small triangular space is defined by the projecting needle [6, the last warp at said edge, and the weft Wf. This space is insufficient to permit the certain passage of the shuttle 30. Therefore, the weft-engaging finger 32 is inserted into it and is moved towards the fell. In this movement it engages the weft and draws it towards the fell, Fig. 5. Thereby the said triangular space is enlarged, for its base line, measured lengthwise of the warps, is increased; alternatively, if the finger is spaced somewhat from the edge warp the triangular space is distorted and enlarged until it becomes an irregular four-sided figure. This takes place towards the latter stage of the rearward movement of the batten l 0. The shuttle 30 is now passed through the said space, and assuming that the shuttle is initially in its upper position, it is passed downwards through said space so that the selvedge thread S is conducted down over the weft thread W (Fig. 3). The batten l0 now commences to move forward and in this forward movement the weft-engaging finger 32 is retired and lowered and the weft laying needle I6 is retracted. The retraction of the needle l6 lays the second pick of the double pick through the shed so that the bight of said double pick extends around the selvedge thread S at the return edge and is locked, Fig. 6. The same operations take place after the next shed has been formed, but it will be appreciated that in this case the shuttle 3|] moves upwards through the space provided by the operation of the weft-engaging finger. It may be pointed out that the mechanism should be so timed that the disengagement of the finger 32 from the weft Wj is not unduly delayed with relation to the retiring movement of the needle l6. Otherwise a neat selvedge will not result. It will also be appreciated that the relative tensions of the various threads are a factor in the production of a neat selvedge.

The shuttle 38 is reciprocated in a narrow vertical box 38 attached to the loom framing. Preferably, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it moves in an arcuate path which, at the time when the shuttle moves, has its centre substantially at the fell. Excessive variations in the tension of the selvedge thread S are thereby avoided.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for shooting the shuttle 30 across the gap 39 in the box 38, into which gap (as will readily be appreciated by a weaver) the weft-inserting needle HS enters. In the illustrated arrangement, the shuttle is gear driven. It has an arcuate rack of teeth 40 at its back edge for engagement with upper and lower driving gears 4|, 42, the arrangement being such that in movement across the gap 39 the rack 49 passes into mesh with one of these gears before it passes out of mesh with the other.

These gears il 42 are connected together by an idler 43 and one of them is driven by a driving gear 44 on an oscillating shaft 45. The mechanism for giving this shaft 45 a sharp movement, first in one direction and then in the other, each time the batten It is moved to its back position, is shown in Fig. 4. On the shaft 45 there is a chain sprocket 46, and a chain 4? runs over this sprocket and a like sprocket 43 above it. The two laps of the chain 47 are connected by tie rods 49, 50 to truck levers 51, 52 pivoted at 53. These truck levers carry trucks 54, 55, respectively engaging cams 55, on a continuously rotating shaft 58. The shape of these cams 56, 5'5, being as shown, in each revolution of the shaft 58 one or other of the levers 5|, 52 is sharply depressed and the shaft 45 is given a sharp rotary motion in one direction or the other.

Other means for shooting the shuttle 39 may be adopted. For example, the gears 4!, s2, may L be driven by a rack.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a loom having a weft layer operating from one edge only, yet two weft layers may be provided operating one from each edge. Such weft layers may insert double picks through the same sheds or through alternate sheds, but with each of them there will be associated, at the edge opposite to that from which the respective weft layers work, a selvedge-forming shuttle and a weft-engaging device as hereinbefore described.

The present invention is applicable to a locrn in which a double shed is formed.

I claim:

1. In a needle loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary weft supply and is inserted into the successively formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weft laying finger operating from one of the edges of the band. of warps, the combination with the finger, of a selvedge shuttle race, a selvedge shuttle movable therein for inserting a selvedge thread through the bights of the double picks; means for moving said shuttle to and fro along said race to pass through said picks; a weft-engaging device, other than the selvedge shuttle, for en aging the inserted weft and for positioning it to facilitate the passage of the selvedge shuttle; and means for moving said device in a path other than that of the selvedge shuttle to engage and position the weft.

2. In a needle loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary weft supply and is inserted into the successively formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weft laying finger operating from one of the edges of the band of warps, the combination with the finger, of a selvedge shuttle for inserting a selvedge thread through the bights of the double picks; means for moving said shuttle in opposite directions through the bights of successive double picks; and a weft-engaging device for engaging and displacing the weft of each double pick to distend the bight for the passage of the selvedge shuttle.

3. In a needle loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary weft supply and is inserted into the successively formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weft laying finger operating from one of the edges of the band of warps, the combination with the finger, of a shuttle race at the other edge of the band; a selvedge shuttle displaceab-le in said race for inserting a selvedge thread through the bights of the double picks; means for moving said shuttle to and fro along said race to pass through the double picks; and a movable weft-engaging device distinct from the selvedge shuttle for engaging a length of weft in each double pick that extends from the inserted finger to the selvedge and for displacing said weft to enlarge the bight for the passage of the selvedge shuttle therethrough.

4. In a needle loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from an external supply thereof and is carried into successively formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weftinserting finger operating from one edge of the band of warps towards the other or return edge thereof whereat the bights of the double picks are located, the combination of a weft engaging device, means for operating said device at each insertion of the finger to engage and displace, at the return edge, the weft of a just-inserted double pick and to displace said weft to enlarge the bight, which operating means includes means for disengaging said device from the weft prior to beating up of the latter, a movable selvedge shuttle for passing a selvedge thread through the bights of successive double picks to lock them, means for driving said selvedge shuttle through each enlarged bight while the latter is engaged by the said device, and beating-up means.

5. In a loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary supply and is carried into successively formed warp sheds as double picks by a weft layer operating from one edge of the band of warps, said picks having bights not locked by the shedding operations at the other or return edge, the combination of a pivoted weft-engaging finger at said return edge; means for moving said finger in one direction to engage a portion of an inserted double pick to displace it from the weft layer and thereby to enlarge the bight of the pick; a displaceable selvedge shuttle for laying a selvedge thread through the bights of successive double picks at the return edge; means for shooting said selvedge shuttle through said enlarged bight; and means for thereupon moving the finger in the reverse direction to disengage from the weft.

6. In a loom according to claim 5, having means for shooting the selvedge shuttle in one direction through one double pick and in the reverse direction through the next double pick, and so on.

7. In a needle loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from an external supply thereof and is inserted into successively-formed warp sheds, in the form of double picks, by a weft laying finger operating from one of the edges of the band of warps towards the other or return edge, the combination with the finger, of a shuttle race at the return edge extending transversely of the general plane of the warps and having an intermediate space or gap into which the bights of the double picks are carried by the finger; means other than the selvedge shuttle for engaging each inserted bight of weft and for opening it; and means, including a driver at each side of the space, for moving the shuttle along the race and across the space in one direction through one inserted bight and in the reverse direction through the next bight to pass a selvedge thread therethrough.

8. A loom according to claim '7, having the bight-opening means movable towards the fell to effect opening of the bight.

9. A loom according to claim 1, having a movable sley or batten, a stationary race for the selvedge shuttle, and a support on the batten for the weft-laying finger.

10. A loom according to claim 1, having a sley or batten movable towards and away from the fell in beating up; means for inserting the weft laying finger into the shed as the batten retires and for retracting it as the batten advances to beat up; and means for moving the weft-engaging device to enlarge the double bight of weft while the batten is in a retired position.

11. In a loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary supply and is carried into successively formed warp sheds as double picks by a weft layer operating from one edge of the band of warps, said picks having bights not locked by the shedding operations at the other or return edge, the combination of a batten or sley movable towards and away from the fell in beating up; means for inserting the weft layer into a warp shed as the batten retires and for withdrawing it as the batten advances to beat up; a weft-engaging device at the return edge for opening the bights of the double picks of inserted weft; means for moving said device to efiect its opening operation while the batten is in a retired position and the weft layer is inserted; a selvedge shuttle at the return edge for laying selvedge thread through the weft bights; and means for passing said shuttle through a double bight while opened.

12. In a loom of the type in which the weft is drawn from a stationary supply and is carried into successively formed warp sheds as double picks by a weft layer operating from one edge of the band of warps, said picks having bights not locked by the shedding operations at the other or return edge, the combination of a batten or sley movable towards and away from the fell in beating up; means for inserting the weft layer into a Warp shed as the batten retires and for withdrawing it as the batten advances to beat up; a weft-engaging device at the return edge for opening the bights of the double picks of inserted weft; means for moving said device to effect its opening operation while the batten is in a retired position and the weft layer is inserted; a selvedge shuttle at the return edge for laying selvedge thread through the weft bights; a race for the selvedge shuttle; and means for moving said shuttle in opposite directions along said race through successive opened bights.

W. WILLIAMSON. 

